Ever since the Garden of Eden, the Evil One does his best to cause us to doubt the goodness of God. As a result, many of us view God as a strict disciplinarian interested chiefly in servile compliance to his laws. We may even try to avoid knowing God’s commands thinking that maybe ignorance of them removes our responsibility to obey them.

Yet, “Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD.” Joyful, fortunate, blessed, happy, to be envied—are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Why? Because willing obedience to God always brings us great joy and happiness.

If we, even for a moment, entertain thoughts that God is withholding something good from us, or he’s out to get us, or he’s a kill-joy—we are horribly mistaken! We find true joy and happiness as we follow Jesus Christ and obey him. God is profoundly interested in our happiness. And he knows infinitely better than we do what will make us happy!

“Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found.” (Psalm 119:35 NLT)

© 2010 Rob Fischer

Nehemiah records a most remarkable event in the life of Israel. The Jews had been in captivity in foreign lands due to their refusal to follow the Lord and instead chase after idols and live contrary to God’s character and design. Their lands had been taken from them, their temple destroyed and the holy city Jerusalem laid in rubble.

Ezra (a priest) and Nehemiah (a leader among the Jews) had returned to Jerusalem to oversee the rebuilding of the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. In Nehemiah chapter 8, the temple had been rebuilt and the people had just completed reconstructing the walls of the city under duress from enemies who constantly harassed them.

On completion of the walls, the people knew this was a historic and deeply significant event. So men, women and children gathered together in a large courtyard and asked Ezra to read from the Book of the Law of Moses in their hearing. Ezra read from early morning until midday. All the leaders of the people were present as well and the Levites helped explain to the people what Ezra was reading.

As Ezra unfolded God’s Word to them, the people worshiped God and began to weep and grieve over what they heard. The Book of the Law reminded them that their forefathers had heard the same words and had even witnessed the mighty acts of God. Yet they had disobeyed God and had suffered destruction, death and exile for their sin. The present reconstruction of the wall stood as a solemn reminder of the horrible sins and rebellion their forefathers had committed against God and the judgment they had received. It’s no wonder the people wept and mourned!

However, Ezra, Nehemiah and the Levites all encouraged the people not to weep and mourn, but to rejoice and celebrate God. Not only had God performed a great work among them in helping them rebuild the temple and city walls, but as Ezra read from the Law the people were also reminded of God’s great love, faithfulness and provision. They would have heard about how patient, loving and kind the Lord had been to their forefathers in the desert. They were reminded again of God’s grace and mercy in calling them his own people who had formerly not been a people. They were reminded of God’s faithfulness and power to provide and protect them. The Lord had manifested his presence among them through the pillar of fire and cloud and by his awesome works. (See Deuteronomy chapters 1-11.)

Consequently, Nehemiah encourages the people not to weep and mourn, but to celebrate what God had done and was now doing in and through them. Then Nehemiah declared, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10) I believe the people’s grief sprang not only from remembering the evil their ancestors had done, but it reminded them of their own frailty and propensity to wander from God and rebel against him. And in response to their grief Nehemiah encourages them to find their strength in enjoying or celebrating in the Lord!

Enjoying the Lord—finding our joy in him—offers the only valid motivation for holy living and latches onto the only adequate power for life transformation—the Lord himself. The people took Nehemiah’s counsel to heart and celebrated the Lord. In their obedience they experienced great joy (Nehemiah 8:17) and their preoccupation and delight in the Lord led them to press into God even more and to confess their sins and to worship him fervently (Nehemiah 9).

By enjoying and delighting in the Lord the people rediscovered and proclaimed, “You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.” (Nehemiah 9:17) By seeking their joy in God as opposed to other sources, they turned their hearts completely back to him, recommitting themselves to follow and obey him (Nehemiah 10).

How about you? Is the joy of the Lord your strength?

©2010 Rob Fischer

Yet, as I read through Genesis again I’m utterly amazed at God’s career plan for Joseph. Through Joseph’s dreams it appears that God had given him an inkling of what the future might hold for him. His brothers and even his father interpreted this as arrogance. In fact, his brothers were so incensed by Joseph’s dreams and preferential treatment by his dad that they hated him (Genesis 37:4).

So at about the young age of 17, Joseph’s brothers plotted to kill him, then thought better of it and sold him as a slave to Midianite merchants who in turn sold him to one of Pharaoh’s officials in Egypt. Meanwhile, Joseph’s brothers cunningly convinced their father that Joseph was dead, having been torn apart by some wild beast.

As bleak and hopeless as Joseph’s situation appears, the Scriptures inform us, “The Lord was with him and gave him success in all he did” (Genesis 39:2-5). It’s so easy to read that and just plow on in the text oblivious to what was happening behind all of this, so let’s ponder this for a moment. From the time Joseph was sold as a slave into Egypt until the time when he was promoted to second in command over all of Egypt was about thirteen years. He spent some of those thirteen years as a slave in Potiphar’s household and the remaining years in prison.

In planning my own career path, neither slavery nor a prison sentence ever entered my mind as a possible stepping stone toward promotion! Then, as if things couldn’t get any worse, Joseph was falsely accused of trying to seduce his master’s wife. Precisely where Joseph has determined to keep his integrity intact, his reputation was soiled by this false accusation and circumstantial evidence. (Potiphar’s wife had grabbed his cloak as “proof” that he had tried to rape her.)

In several places in Scripture we gain insight into Joseph’s trials. He himself refers to “all his trouble” and his “suffering” in Egypt. And the Psalmist explains of Joseph, “They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons” (Psalm 105:18). Add to his physical suffering, the loneliness and oppression of slavery, a tarnished reputation and the hardships and humility of prison.

Surely through all those years Joseph must have wrestled with God frequently! Joseph was a man like we are. Would he not have cried out to God, “Why? Why me? Why this? Where are you, God? Why don’t you answer my prayers for deliverance? Why do my brothers hate me so? Don’t you care about me? Have I done something terrible to warrant this treatment? If so, reveal it to me so I can repent!” Do you feel the turmoil and desperation he must have experienced?

And yet, the Scripture says, “The Lord was with him . . .  and gave him success in all he did” (Genesis 39:2-5). The implication here is that Joseph worked diligently and God prospered him in his work. In other words, Joseph rose above his circumstances and kept his integrity intact by working hard and doing well for his bosses. In his diligence God blessed him. However, Joseph’s diligence was coupled with his dependence on God. Notice that in his conversations with the cupbearer and baker and later with Pharaoh, Joseph credits God with the interpretation of dreams.

Again, we find something amazing going on here in the background. In the middle of all his struggling and suffering Joseph’s relationship with God had deepened profoundly. With the interpretation of these dreams it’s clear that Joseph had learned how to listen to God. Joseph was alert to the working of God and he also knew God’s character. Remember his words to Potiphar’s wife when she was trying to seduce him? “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9)

Joseph clearly saw his dependence on God and lived dependently on him trusting him for all things. Joseph had lost his standing as a favored son of a wealthy rancher. Then he lost his position as a trusted slave. His reputation was slandered and his freedom taken. But Joseph continually cultivated his relationship with God.

Later on as second in command over all Egypt, Joseph possessed all the power and authority to bring justice upon his scheming brothers. But Joseph freely forgave them. His words of encouragement to them are incredible! Joseph consoled them, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.” (Genesis 45:4-5) Joseph’s relationship with God had worked in him a forgiving, loving response to those who had hurt him.

And later, when their father had died, Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” (Genesis 50:19-20)

Joseph’s words also demonstrate that he found great joy and purpose in knowing that God was using him and that his life was impacting others for good. Too often I find myself more concerned with how fulfilling my job is for me. What I see in Joseph was a godly diligence and fervor for his job and then asking a chief question, “How is my work benefiting others?”

Finally, I find three prominent characteristics that stand out in Joseph’s story: 1) God’s presence, faithfulness and sovereign ability to turn awful circumstances into something wonderful; 2) Joseph’s trust in God and ability to see God’s care for him in spite of horrible trials; and 3) Joseph’s preoccupation with spending his life in the service of others.

©2010 Rob Fischer

Was Jesus ever taken advantage of?

This may seem like an odd question, but it’s one I’m wrestling with in a very personal and practical way. You see, I just learned that I’ve been taken advantage of by someone. This person had been posing as someone with a chronic illness and in dire financial need. I and others rose to their alleged need by paying some of their bills, serving them and praying for them. This has gone on for a couple years. Now that their deceit has been exposed I feel violated, foolish and a tremendous sense of grief for them.

What should I have done differently? Did anything like this ever happen to Jesus? If so, how did he respond? How does he want me to respond? How do I guard myself in the future—or, should I?

These questions take me to Jesus’ teaching in Luke 6:27-31: “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Jesus’ words really get under our skin because they demand living in a way that is far too vulnerable for comfort! If we live like that aren’t we opening the door for being taken advantage of? And yet he calls us to this lifestyle precisely because it demonstrates God’s character.

We can consider the question, “Was Jesus ever taken advantage of?” in two ways. First, because Jesus is God and therefore all-knowing and all-wise, we conclude that Jesus was never taken advantage of in the sense that he was fooled or that someone tricked him. John 2:24 bears this out when it explains, “But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men.” Jesus was fully aware of the motivations of their hearts.

There’s a second way we can think about the question whether Jesus was ever taken advantage of. This viewpoint does not result from foolishness, naivety or lack of knowledge, but due to his virtuous character.

For example, in John 5, Jesus healed a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. One Sabbath day, Jesus told this man to get up, pick up the mat he was lying on and walk. The Jewish religious leaders reprimanded the man for carrying his mat on the Sabbath. In response the healed man replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ So they asked him, ‘Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?’ The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.”

Later on, Jesus found this guy in the temple and warned him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” At this, the man went back to the Jews and informed them that it was Jesus who had made him well. And as a result, the Jews persecuted Jesus for doing these things on the Sabbath. (John 5:1-16)

How could this guy turn against Jesus like this right after Jesus healed him? And, why did Jesus allow himself to be taken advantage of like this? Then something occurred to me. Every time one of us, who has experienced Jesus’ forgiveness for sin, rebels against him and willfully sins again—are we not taking advantage of our Lord’s grace and goodness? We are taking advantage of him, to be sure. And yet he humbly endures it when we defraud him and he remains gracious and ready to forgive when we return to him! 1 John 1:9 explains, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Jesus asks us to endure the same treatment from others. In 1 Corinthians 6:7 he says, “The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?” Enduring this mistreatment from others allows us the opportunity to “participate in the sufferings of Christ.” (1 Peter 4:12-13.)

If we are living and becoming more like Jesus, it should not surprise us when we are taken advantage of like he is. May we also learn to bear it humbly like he does!

©2010 Rob Fischer

The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer

Chapter 1: Why We Must Think Rightly About God

Lord God Almighty! I call upon you not as a god of our own making. You are the One revealed and proclaimed by the prophets and apostles, and best of all, by your own Son Jesus Christ!

Those who don’t know you call on you as someone other than who you really are. They do not worship you but a creature of their own imagination. Therefore reveal yourself to us that we may know you as you truly are so that we will love you and praise you fittingly.

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

What comes to our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us!

The history of mankind will no doubt reveal that no people has ever risen above its religion. And our spiritual history will definitely demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is either pure or corrupt based on whether the worshiper thinks high or low thoughts about God.

For this reason the most crucial matter before the church is always God himself. The most significant issue for us as individuals is not what we may say or do in a given moment, but in our hearts what we perceive God to be like. Without fail every one of us has a mental image of God. This is true both individually and as a collection of worshipers in the church.

The most revealing characteristic of a church is its view of God. And its most significant message is what the church says about God or leaves unsaid. The church’s silence about who God is often speaks more eloquently than its message. The church always reveals its true nature based on its witness of who God is.

The answer to the question, “What comes to your mind when you think about God?” will surely predict your spiritual future. What our church leaders think of God today will determine our church’s condition tomorrow.

Without doubt, the most weighty word in any language is its word for God and the most powerful thought is thinking about God. Thought and speech are God’s gifts to us whom he created in his image. Word and thought are intimately linked with God and are impossible apart from him. How significant that the first word was the Word, “And the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) We can speak because God spoke. In him, word and thought are inseparable.

It’s vital that our concept of God correspond as nearly as possible to the true being of God. What we truly think about God impacts us far more than platitudes we recite about him. What we really think about God may be buried under the guise of commonly accepted spiritual teaching and may require careful, rigorous inspection to expose it for what it is. Often, nothing short of a painful ordeal, trial or suffering will reveal what we actually believe about God.

Right thinking about God is not only vital to our theology but to our lifestyle as a follower of Christ as well. The true worship of God rests on right thinking about God just as a building rests on its foundation. When the foundation is crooked or poorly constructed, the whole building is in danger of collapse. Dishonorable and distorted thoughts about God always lead to errors in doctrine and Christian morality.

In my opinion the current Christian understanding of God is corrupt and altogether beneath the dignity of the Most High God. In fact, our distorted view of God has led us—professed Christians—into moral ruin.

All the problems of heaven and earth combined amount to nothing compared with the weighty issues facing us about God—his existence, what he is like, and our response to him.

In the course of our conversion, when we first begin to believe rightly about God we find relief from our many temporal burdens. For we realize that those worldly problems are puny from a divine and eternal perspective. However, in that first moment as we begin to see God and therefore ourselves rightly, we also become aware of the crushing burden of our guilt, shame and accountability before the Holy God. In his presence we recognize our immense obligation to love, obey and worship him acceptably. Then we realize that until now we have done none of those things but have been guilty all our lives of rebellion against the Almighty and Holy God. At that point our self-awareness and utter guiltiness become to great for us to bear.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ can lift this crushing burden from our life, freeing us from the guilt, shame and heaviness of our obligation. But unless we see God as he truly is—high and lifted up—we will not feel the weight of our burden before him. And unless we feel that weight, the Gospel will mean nothing to us. Low views of God render the Gospel useless for those who hold them.

Of all the sins mankind pursues, idolatry is probably the most detestable to God, because idolatry defames his character. The heart of the idolater views God other than he is (an outrageous crime in and of itself) then substitutes a cheap imitation of his own making for the one true God. The idol always conforms to the image of the one who created it, whether vulgar or wholesome, cruel or kind.

A god so formed in the shadows of a fallen heart can never be an accurate likeness of the true God. Of such a person the Lord declared, “You thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.” (Psalm 50:21 ESV) This mutilation of the character of God is a serious charge! He is the Most High God before whom the angels cry out, “Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty!” (Revelation 4:8)

We must take care not to assume falsely that idolatry always involves bowing before some object of worship and that it is therefore foreign among civilized people. The essence of idolatry is entertaining thoughts about God that are unworthy of him. Idolatry begins in the mind and may be present even where no overt act of worship occurs.

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. Romans 1:21-23 NLT

Note that this series of degrading acts began in the mind. Wrong ideas about God not only produce idolatry, but are themselves idolatry. The idolater simply imagines things about God and lives as though they were true.

Perverted notions about God soon rot the religion in which they appear. Israel’s record clearly bears this out and the history of the church confirms it. A true and lofty concept of God is so necessary to the church that when that concept begins to decline, the church with its worship and moral standards declines with it. A church takes its first step down when it compromises its high view of God

A church begins losing its witness in the community when its beliefs about God become corrupt. At that point this church cannot rightly respond to the question, “What is God like?” and fabricates something of its own making. Although this church may continue to profess to a sound set of doctrines, its relationship with God has become marred. This church’s members soon believe God to be different than he actually is. This kind of false teaching is most dangerous and deadly!

Our number one priority as a church today is to purify and elevate our view of God until our view is once more worthy of him (and of the church). We must give first place to this objective in all our prayers and ministry. The greatest legacy we can pass along to the next generation of Christ-followers is to provide them with a pure and noble view of God.

To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal? says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Isaiah 40:25-26

Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the fathers’ sins into the laps of their children after them. O great and powerful God, whose name is the LORD Almighty, great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to all the ways of men; you reward everyone according to his conduct and as his deeds deserve. Jeremiah 32:17-19

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:33-36

 
©2009 Rob Fischer

Webster defines adventure as “an undertaking or experience that involves hazard and requires courage.” My mind went to Luke 9:22-23 where Jesus called disciples, “And he said, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.’ Then he said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’”

Wow, based on that passage, a life of following Jesus definitely involves hazard and requires courage. I guess that qualifies as an adventure!

But aren’t we fickle and half-hearted at times? For as soon as we encounter hazards and trials we cry out for deliverance, “God, get me out of this!” And we long for normalcy, “When are things going to settle down again?” We go to great lengths to make our lives easy so we can avoid hazards and trials. We say we want adventure, but when the trials come what we really want is amusement. The amusement park offers a temporary rush of adrenalin in a controlled environment. But true adventure is unpredictable with real consequences.

The courage it takes to ride a roller coaster is not the same kind of courage required to go the distance in a true adventure. If we stop to think about it, courage is only needed when fear must be overcome.

All of us at times find our adventure with God to be scary and unnerving. Here’s where it helps to have a firm and accurate picture of God whom we’re trusting. He is infinitely loving, kind and compassionate. Yet he is all-powerful and all-knowing. He knows no surprises and needs no contingency plans. He wants to be intimately involved in our lives and loves it when we trust him without reservation. He is worthy of our trust because he is trustworthy. Those who trust in him will never be disappointed.

There’s a great passage in Hebrews 12:12-13 that God provides for our encouragement as we trust him in the adventure he has for us. “Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. ‘Make level paths for your feet,’ so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.” The writer of Hebrews is quoting Isaiah 35:3 here. The context there finds Israel in its hour of greatest need when things truly looked hopeless. But the prophet encouraged Israel to trust in God and watch him work on their behalf—and he did! The point is, when things look most bleak on this life adventure with God, look to him and be strong in him.

© 2009 Rob Fischer

All of us from time to time experience an “inversion” in our spiritual lives as well. We seem to get buried under the clouds of our daily grind. We forget the sunshine of God’s grace and presence and feel oppressed by trials and hardship. If relationships around us have grown cold our discomfort deepens and we may become joyless, sad and even depressed.

When we begin to feel a spiritual inversion coming on, the worst thing we can do is isolate in the valley and dark corners of our existence! And yet that is precisely what we are prone to do. Instead, climb above the oppressive spiritual fog and expose yourself to the warmth of God’s presence and love. There are several ways we can do this.

If you find yourself slipping into or immersed in a spiritual inversion, spend time in God’s Word—lots of it. Devour it like you would a favorite novel. Let his Word warm your soul and lift you up. Spend time in the Psalms or the Gospels. Rehearse the promises of God from great chapters like Romans 8 or Hebrews 11. Go to God’s Word to meet with him. “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)

Another method for climbing out of the fog and dampness of spiritual inversion is to spend time talking to God, thanking him and praising him for his goodness and faithfulness. In the face of trials and even the humdrum of daily life, we so quickly forget how awesome, how great, how majestic our God is! Tell him anew what you know to be true of his character and works in your life.

“I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.” (Psalm 145:1-2) Read the rest of that Psalm and make it your personal prayer!

A third powerful means for getting out of the spiritual fog and darkness of despair is to spend time with a trusted friend or spiritual partner. When we’re hurting we often crawl into a hole and mope, which only worsens our condition! Force yourself to seek out someone who can pray with you and challenge you. Don’t be satisfied with a friend who adds to your gloom. Spend time with another follower of Christ who will lift you up.
 
The following Proverbs describe the kind of words you want others to speak into your life: “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life. The lips of the righteous nourish many. The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom. The lips of the righteous know what is fitting. The tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Proverbs 10:11, 21, 31, 32; 12:18)

©2009 Rob Fischer

But there is both a non-giving and a giving that dishonors God. Not giving simply fails to honor God. Not giving demonstrates that we treasure our wealth and possessions above God. Not giving to God withholds honor from him and hoards that honor for us. By not giving we deny that all we have comes from God and belongs to him. Not giving also fails to show gratitude and thanksgiving for all God has blessed us with. So, not giving dishonors God.
 
As I said, there is also a giving that dishonors God. Giving that dishonors God is a giving that emerges grudgingly from our hearts out of duty or obligation. According to 2 Corinthians 9:7 NLT, we are not to “give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully.” One reason that reluctant or stingy giving dishonors God is that he desires that his children mimic his character (Ephesians 5:1). God does not give grudgingly or reluctantly! He lavishes his love and gifts on his children (Matthew 7:11).

But when we give reluctantly or tight-fistedly we dishonor God. Our motives betray that we are self-centered and money-focused. “The world is not impressed when Christians get rich and say thanks to God.  They are impressed when God is so satisfying that we give our riches away for Christ’s sake and call it gain.” (John Piper) “God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.” (2 Corinthians 9:7 MSG)

Once we realize that genuine giving honors and pleases God, our natural tendency is to ask, “How much should I give?” Unfortunately, this question quickly degenerates into legalistic, duty-based thinking. We’ve already seen that our motives for giving matter as much to God as the act of giving itself.

Remember the two rich men in Luke 18 and 19? The rich ruler in Luke 18:18-23 was looking for another commandment that he could keep to fulfill an obligation to God. When Jesus told him to sell all he had and give the proceeds to the poor, Jesus’ request was not primarily about giving, but about whom or what this man served and loved. So, when Jesus asked him to choose between God and his money, he chose what he truly loved and lived for – his money. The price was too high and he went away very sad.

In contrast to the rich ruler, we find Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10. Here is another rich man, but when he meets Jesus, there is no contest this time between God and money.  Zacchaeus chooses God! He honors Jesus (God) before all by voluntarily giving half his wealth to the poor and making four-fold restitution to those he had cheated! Jesus gets excited about Zacchaeus’ response because it clearly demonstrated a changed life in submission to God. Zacchaeus honored God in his giving and in the amount he gave.

So, again, back to the question, “How much should I give?” My response: give an amount that is God-honoring. Give an amount or percentage that you know brings honor to God and demonstrates that he and not money is supreme and treasured in your life! As Paul told the Corinthians, “If you are really eager to give, it isn’t important how much you are able to give. God wants you to give what you have, not what you don’t have.”  (2 Corinthians 8:12 NLT)

Jesus called his disciples over and said, “The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford–she gave her all.” (Mark 12:43-44 MSG)
 
© 2009 Rob Fischer

 In year 39 of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness two men woke up one morning. One man got up, put on his outer garment and lifted the flap over the door of his tent to step out into the desert morning. As he ducked under the tent flap it dumped a load of sand down his neck. He cursed under his breath and angrily shook out his clothes muttering, “I am sick and tired of this infernal sand! I’ve got sand in my bed, sand in my hair, sand in my food! Everywhere there’s sand! I hate this life of constant moving and upheaval. And guess what’s for breakfast? Manna—again!” 

 This man’s mood was no private matter, but spread unmercifully like cancer to his wife and children. With his incessant bitterness, anger and complaints he poisoned the minds and attitudes of his family and friends. His poison took its toll on his relationships replacing intimacy with isolation, trust with suspicion and love with self-centeredness. This man truly lived out the miserable life he envisioned for himself. By making much of himself and his circumstances, he lived as though God were puny and others insignificant.

 Across the vast camp of the Israelites that same morning another man awoke. This man’s circumstances were in no wise different than the first man. But as this man stepped out of his tent that morning shaking the sand from his clothes, he stood up and filled his lungs with the fresh, cool desert air. He looked to the east watching the glory of the sun as it began to dispel the night. He thought to himself that the sunrise was but a tiny reflection of the magnificent glory of its Creator.

 He expectantly looked out over the hillsides around their camp and saw the familiar blanket of manna in the receding shadows. Suddenly he was overwhelmed with a sense of God’s presence, faithfulness and love for him and his family. Without inhibition he raised his hands and looked up into the sky and worshipped out loud, “Thank you, my God, my King, my Shepherd! Thank you for another “manna-day”, a day in which you show yourself faithful and loving toward me and your people. Thank you for providing for us, O gracious Lord!”

 This man’s mood was no private matter either, but spread to others like the warmth of the rising sun. His humble gratitude made him a delight to be around! His family and friends found his faith and joy contagious, so that they too gave God glory. By making much of God, he saw more of God and his greatness and love. And by experiencing God’s love, he could not help but love others around him on whom God had also poured out his love.

Which man are you?

Prayer: Lord, I desperately want to be the second man in this parable! Each day, let me turn my eyes toward you and off myself and my circumstances. Let me see you in your awesome splendor and majesty and worship you as you really are. I long to draw near to you today with the knowledge that in doing so, I cannot remain unchanged. Therefore, I invite you to change me. Make me more like you in character—more loving, more generous, more thoughtful of others. Thank you for your abundant provision in my life and for being so faithful. I praise you with my entire being! In Jesus’ mighty name I pray, amen!

© Rob Fischer 2008

Marlene’s husband was saddled with the responsibility of going to work every day and then coming home and taking care of the household, the children, and his invalid wife.

The pressure of this situation continued for 12 long years until one day when Marlene turned to Jesus Christ and asked him to heal her. She desperately longed to be the wife her husband needed and to take care of her children and home.

The Lord Jesus responded to her plea. Her excruciating pain and other debilitating effects began to subside and soon she was able to function in an ever-increasing capacity at home and at work. But after 12 years of hardship and deprivation, Marlene’s husband gave up and abandoned the family. Suddenly she was faced with responsibilities and challenges she had never before experienced.

At this time, Marlene started attending church and turned to her pastor for help. In particular, she needed advice in managing her finances. So as a first step, the pastor asked her how much income she had to work with each month and then listed all the routine expenses. From this data they drew up a spending plan.

After reviewing the spending plan, Marlene asked in a troubled voice, “But where do we account for the money I give to God? I want to give him ten percent of everything that comes in.” To which the pastor responded with empathy, “Marlene, I’m afraid you can’t afford to give. The money just isn’t there after your basic expenses.” She had barely enough money to pay the mortgage, utilities, put food on the table and gas in the car.  That was it. There wasn’t even anything there for clothes or school supplies for her boys, much less for any emergency or contingency that might come along.

Marlene continued to implore her pastor that there must be some money somewhere she could give to the Lord. But her pastor insisted, “You can’t afford to give away one cent, much less a tenth!” Marlene responded, “You don’t understand. God has given me my life back. I love him and want to honor him with my income. You cannot deny me this joy!”

Her pastor, realizing that she was bound and determined to give to God, set up an additional account page in her ledger and titled it, Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Her pastor then instructed her, “Every time you need something in your day-to-day activities and you don’t have the money for it, get on your knees and tell God what you need. And ask him to meet your financial need to give back to him. Rehearse with him what he’s promised you about meeting all your needs, and every time he provides for you, enter that amount on this page in your ledger.”

Three months later, Marlene came back to review her spending plan with her pastor and to update him on how things were going. By far and away, the page in her ledger with the most activity was the Philippians 4:19 page. Line after line she had recorded all the things and all the ways God had faithfully answered her prayers to meet the needs of her family and allow her to give back to him a portion of it.

“When we give money away, we not only neutralize its power over us, but we also bring it under the domain of the Kingdom of light.  Nongrace is turned into grace.  God is honored, and His lordship is confirmed.”  – Richard A. Swenson, MD

“Our giving is a reflexive response to the grace of God in our lives.  It doesn’t come out of our altruism or philanthropy—it comes out of the transforming work of Christ in us.”  – Randy Alcorn
 
2 Corinthians 9:8, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

©2009 Rob Fischer